San Jacinto News Times - Local News
Copyright 2013 - Polk County Publishing Company

Body of Liberty County man found hear hiking trail

EVERGREEN – The body of a Liberty County man was found near the Lone Star Hiking Trail in the area of Shaw Road in San Jacinto County about 2 p.m. Thursday, July 11. According to San Jacinto County Sheriff's Department Captain Tim Morgan, no foul play is expected in the 42-yearolds death. "There was a report of a domestic problem on Saturday he his last communication was on Monday. His vehicle was spotted at that time," Morgan said. San Jacinto County Pct. 3 Constable Sam Houston said the discovery of Ellis' body was a result of an investigation launched after he noticed a truck left unattended for several days near the hiking trail crossing at FM 945 South. "I was really concerned with the truck being there so long," Houston said. After cross-referencing the license plate of the vehicle with the Liberty County Sheriff's Department, Houston was notified by the owner's daughter that she had last seen her father, Stephen G. Ellis, on Monday, July 8, according to Houston. Houston said he advised the daughter and her mother to file a missing person report with their local police department and keep him advised as to the case number and any information they could ascertain to aid in his investigation. According to a press release sent by Houston, he notified the San Jacinto County Sheriff's Department of his advice to the family and also informed him that he would keep the sheriff's department advised of any further information he may gather during the course of his investigation. Houston said he notified the sheriff's dispatch that he would begin a search on foot to better cover the trails in the forest. Houston and volunteer Pete Sampson started a search about 1:15 p.m. After a preliminary search of the area surrounding the vehicle, Constable Houston and Sampson decided to split up and extend their search area to the surrounding forest trails. About 2:05 p.m. Sampson notified Houston of a body located near the trail and about onequarter of a mile southwest of the vehicle. Sampson remained within eyesight of the body, which was slumped against a tree and awaited further instruction. Houston and the sheriff's department detectives arrived shortly and upon further investigation, it was determined that the body was Stephen Ellis. The case remains under investigation by the San Jacinto County Sheriff's Department.